# Accident 20021220036019A: Piper PA32300, Gray, GA, December 20, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 20, 2002, 19:56 local time - Place: Gray, GA - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 32.8219° N, 83.5619° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8219&lon=-83.5619&mi=10 - Aircraft: N47420, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N47420-2003-07-21) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA32300 - Reported engine: LYC IO540* - People aboard: 4 - Fatal injuries: 4 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL03FA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL03FA025) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021220036019A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON DECEMBER 20, 2002 AROUND 1945 HOURS, THE PILOT FOR N47420 DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. REPORTING SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND A LOSS OF ENGINE TO ATC. AIRCRAFT EN-ROUTE FROM COLUMBUS, OH TO THOMASVILLE, GA WAS OBSERVED BY ATC TO DESCEND BELOW RADAR COVERAGE. AIRCRAFT WAS GIVEN VECTORS TO NEAREST AIRPORT (MACON, GA). AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND BY EMERGENCY PERSONNEL IN A WOODED RURAL AREA ABOUT 1 1/2 MILES NORTH OF JUNCTION OF I-75 & I-16; GRAY, GA (JONES COUNTY) AIRCRAFT DESTROYED ON IMPACT AND HAD A POST CRASH FIRE IN WHICH DESTROYED ALL INSTRUMENTS AND DOCUMENTATION. ONE PASSENGER, 12 YEAR OLD FEMALE, SURVIVED WITH MINOR INJURIES, STATED TO FAA INSPECTOR GLENN THOMPSON THAT SMOKE WAS IN THE CABIN, BUT NO FIRE PRESENT UNTIL AFTER THE CRASH. THE SURVIVOR ALSO STATED TO INSPECTORS THAT THE ENGINE STOPPED, RESTARTED AND STOPPED. CONVERSATION WITH THE SURVIVOR ATTACHED. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE THE PILOT WAS GIVEN VECTORS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE AIRPORT OR ANY ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT CONTAINED FUEL, AS INDICATED BY THE POST CRASH FIRE SPREADING 30 TO 40 FEET IN FRONT AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE WRECKAGE. THE ENGINE WAS INSPECTED AT THE SITE AND WAS FOUND TO HAVE INTERNAL DAMAGE. PRELIMINARY INSPECTION BY PIPER AND LYCOMING REPRESENTATIVES INDICATED NO PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRFRAME. ATLANTA AIR SALVAGE PERSONNEL THEN TOOK AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE TO THEIR FACILITY. AFTER FURTHER EVALUATION AT ATLANTA AIR SALVAGE, THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM PIPER, LYCOMING, AND THE FAA CONCURRED THAT DUE TO THE EXTENT OF FAILURE AND DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE, THAT THE ENGINE BE SENT TO THE TEXTRON LYCOMING FACTORY FOR TEARDOWN INSPECTION. PERSONNEL FROM THE LOCAL FAA OFFICE HAVE BEEN CONTACTED AND WERE REQUESTED TO ATTEND THE TEARDOWN. THE AIRCRAFT, ENGINE, AND PROPELLER LOGBOOKS WERE OBTAINED FROM MR. PRYOR'S ESTATE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CURRENT ANNUAL INSPECTION. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2002 BY IA GENE HELMICK NUMBER 1342125. THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE TIMES AT THAT TIME WERE TACH 3271.94, ENGINE TOTAL TIME 3101.84 AND TIME SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL 1435.8. NO DOCUMENTATION OF ANY OIL LEAKS WAS NOTED IN THESE INSPECTION RECORDS. OIL SAMPLE ANALYSIS DATED SEPTEMBER 16, 2002 INDICATES NO EVIDENCE OF HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF METAL. DAVE CHAFIN FROM LANE AVIATION LOCATED IN COLUMBUS, OHIO PROVIDED FUEL SAMPLE TESTING. N47420 TOOK ON FUEL AT THIS LOCATION. THE RESULTS FROM THAT TEST ARE ATTACHED, ALTHOUGH NO FUEL ISSUES ARE SUSPECTED AT THIS POINT. MR. CHAFIN ALSO FORWARDED TWO STATEMENTS FROM OTHER COMPANY PERSONNEL REGARDING AN OIL LEAK OBSERVED DRIPPING ON THE NOSE GEAR FAIRING. THOSE STATEMENTS ARE ATTACHED. THE OIL LEAK WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PILOT. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE KNEW AND IT WAS COMING FROM THE BREATHER TUBE. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PROVIDED BY MR. VANHOOS (A&P IA 294723167) INDICATED THAT HE OBSERVED OIL LEAKING FROM ONE OF THE MAGNETO MOUNTING AREAS. MR. VANHOOS WAS INSTALLING AN AIR/OIL SEPARATOR IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AT THE TIME. (LOG ENTRY DATED 11/20/02) MR. VANHOOS STATED THAT HE COULD NOT ATTEMPT THE REPAIR OF THIS LEAK, AS HE DID NOT POSSESS THE SPECIAL TOOLING REQUIRED TO REINSTALL THE LASAR TYPE OF MAGNETOS. HOWEVER, HE STATED THAT HE INFORMED THE PILOT OF THE LEAK. THE STATEMENT FROM MR. VANHOOS IS ATTACHED. NEITHER SEVERITY NOR RELEVANCE OF THIS OIL LEAK HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. THE ABOVE INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, ALTHOUGH ITS BEARING ON THE ACCIDENT, IF ANY, HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. AT THIS TIME, THIS INSPECTOR CAN FIND NO IDENTIFICATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THIS ACCIDENT. INVESTIGATORS ARE WAITING ENGINE TEARDOWN RESULTS THAT MAY REVEAL ADDITIONAL FACTS. AS NO ADDITIONAL RECORDS HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED CONTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT OPERATING TIME ON THIS AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENT TO THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION, THE TIMES RECORDED AT THE LAST ANNUAL (APPROX. 90 DAYS PRIOR) WERE USED IN THIS REPORT. A LIST OF THE PERSONS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT IS ATTACHED, ALONG WITH ATC RADAR PLOT, TAPE RECORDINGS BETWEEN PILOT AND ATC, AND RELEVANT PHOTOS. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ATL03FA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL03FA025), Dec 21, 2002: Piper PA-32-300 (N47420), Macon, GA, destroyed, 4 fatal. Probable cause: The loss of engine power due to oil starvation. ## Other reports on N47420 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19790804032219A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790804032219A), Aug 4, 1979: Piper PA32300 (N47420), Lakewood, WI, Substantial damage. Pilot hit shallow ground fog on landing. Drifted to side of runway into rough terrain. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.